How to Cosplay As Dita Von Teese

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Dita Von Teese is an American model, actress and burlesque artist. She is well known for bringing the art of burlesque back to mainstream attention, after it faded out, particularly the striptease. Dita Von Teese possesses her own style of elegance, class, and burlesque inspired glamour. Although her look is unique, it is easy to create your own by drawing some ideas from this talented star and unleashing your inner burlesque queen. Interested? Read on for more.

Get into shape. This step is optional as you don't need to be a certain size or shape to look elegant and classy. Dita focuses on feeling good about herself and her clothing line even goes up to size 22. She said in an interview for Vogue that she found some of her dresses looked better on more voluptuous ladies. Therefore you should never starve yourself or make yourself miserable trying to lose weight! Although you should always try to keep healthy. Dita does yoga everyday and exercise regularly. She also drinks a lot of water. These are things that not only good for your health but also help keep your skin in good condition. Different types of teas are also very good for you especially green tea. Just remember that no matter what you look like you can always be as glamorous as Dita.

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Style your hair. Dita was born with a classic, platinum blonde hair look, but after dying it black, it has become the major part of her look; aside from her outfits. You don’t have to dye your hair if you don’t want to, though it would help a lot. If you don’t want to dye your hair black, try another dark colour such as chocolate/darker brown. You also get semi-permanent dies that fade out of your hair after about 15 washes. but always read the small print on the back of the box to make sure it's what you're looking for. Learn how to perfect the curls Dita always sports: not ringlets or frizz, but big, roller curls. You can create these with actual rollers, or very carefully with a regular straightener/hair curler: remember, large, loose curls. Or you can go for the slightly different look, which is a smoother, slightly straighter style, with only the ends of the hair curled. Dita usually pins on side of her hair back and has the other side framing her face, though sometimes she pushes both sides back. It’s up to you; remember not to be a little unique. Once you have curled and styled your hair, consider accessories. Some typical Dita accessories include:

Large fake flowers. Dita puts these on the side of her hair that she pins back.

Hair clips: large, bright coloured hair clips to pin hair back. You can also use ribbons.

Perfect the skin. Dita’s makeup is flawlessly elegant, but it can be a little tricky to recreate the look yourself. Start with your skin: take care of it and try to avoid breakouts or pimples by maintaining a daily routine of cleansing and moisturizing. Dita’s skin is usually pale, but there is an art to this: try not to look like a clown. Gently, gently dust white powder over your face, remembering to apply it to the other parts of your skin that are exposed so you don’t look like you’re wearing a mask. It shouldn't be obvious at all: simply an elegant pallor. However, this isn’t completely essential, as Dita doesn’t always do this. You can simply leave your skin as it is, or use subtle powder to accomplish a smoother look.

Define your eyebrows with soft, brushing stokes to create an equally elegant and smooth brow. Pluck them to keep them in good shape. Use eyebrow pencils to fill them in and eyebrow gels are particularly good for creating shape. Any brand will do and you can look at Dita's range by Art Deco for guidance as to what she uses.

Apply eyeliner. Use a black pencil to softly, subtly line your bottom lash line, then line the upper lid on the lash line a little more heavily. You can give yourself “Cat eyes” by drawing a curve/arch that follows your upper eyeliner. Make it as thick or thin as you want, though remember that less is more, and elegance/class is the key.

Find the perfect red lipstick for you by experimenting with shades. You can try a full on, cherry red stick, or a slightly darker tone, depending on your skin colour. You may also want to use lip liner to make your lips appear fuller, and lip gloss to give them a sheen. If you don’t want to wear lipstick, just wear clear gloss. Maintain your lips with balm or chap stick, because if they’re usually dry and cracked, lipstick won’t hide it easily. Make sure that you check for lipstick on your teeth!

Get the wardrobe. Dita doesn’t wear lingerie 24/7 – she also has her own unique, everyday wardrobe. Plunge into the world of vintage. Dita says she was fascinated by the 1940’s cinema and retro fashions from a young age, and would often play dress up. Stay away from the boring mainstream trends and revive the old styles. Dita wears a lot of vintage dresses with ruffles and lace, in all lengths – long gowns, knee length or mini dresses. Buy some formal wear and then replenish your everyday wardrobe. Try plain light colours, like pale pinks/rose, or brighter colours like blues and greens, or elegant black and white. Prints like polka dots and flowers are also very stylish, although plain is fine. Good dress styles are strapless mini dresses, or those with a wrap around the waist. You can also try skirts and blouses of the same kind. Try looking at online shopping sites. Dita has the Lapel dress from Glamour Bunny Clothing which retails at just £57 ($89USD) http://www.glamourbunny.com - Another good starting place would be http://www.unique-vintage.com/.

Get the extras and accessories. Big, colourful or black/white ribbons to put in your hair or on your shirt are perfect, as are ribbons. Try to wear heels that go with your outfit, for formal occasions. If you’re just looking for everyday footwear, try ballet flats.

Acquire the perfect lingerie. Of course, Dita is famous for the beautiful lingerie she models/performs and is seen in. She is fond of elaborate lingerie, such as corsets and Basques and fully fashioned, sleek stockings. The world of lingerie can be a little complicated, especially when you’re trying to pull of Dita’s flawless look. To make it easier, remember the following essentials:

Corsets and/or Basques. These are both of the same type of lingerie, and can easily help you pull of the sexy but still classy look. Shop around for things that are comfortable and not difficult to wear. It’s important not to go too far and end up looking too gothic: although there’s nothing wrong with that style, it is not Dita’s. Try plain corsets, or ones with ruffles, frills and lace. Only buy things which flatter your shape, and are comfortable, or you’ll end up looking and feeling foolish.

Stockings. Stay away from wrinkly work tights. Sleek, sheen, fully fashioned stockings are the ones to look for. Try to get stockings that come up to your thighs, or even just your knees, as these look a lot sexier when teamed up with the ultimate lingerie. Experiment with colours. Black is an essential and the safest option: you can also try fishnets, but be very careful that you don’t look sleazy. They often look best with skirts/dresses that go to or below the knees. You can also try colours that match your lingerie. Be careful to take care of the stockings, buy quality ones and not let them rip or create ladders.

Garters. These look elegant and sexy at the same time, and are perfectly at home in the world of burlesque fashion. Garters can be fixed around the waist or legs and help hold up thigh/knee length stockings. Black, again, is a must and a good option, though again you can try other colours.

Complete the lingerie look. Shop around and look for lingerie/underwear that completes the burlesque look – simple, classy things, such as lace, frills or silk. The colours are up to you and your style, though some colours that Dita commonly wears are black, red, pale white/pearl, and sometimes green, purple and pink. She also is occasionally seen in leopard prints, or others. Experiment and find something that suits/flatters you and makes you feel good.

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Community Q&A

Tips

Try not to look sleazy. Dita tries to show people that the words "Stripper" and "Striptease" don't mean tacky - so don't fall into that image. Always remember that elegance and class is the key. If your outfits are too revealing or don't fit you properly, or make you feel uncomfortable, don't wear/buy them again.

Find quality skin care products to acquire flawless skin. If you suffer from acne, consult a doctor and see what will help you. In the meantime, wash your face daily, and try not to add extra oil/dirt to your face - keep your hair away from your skin as much as you can, and keep your hands clean and off your face. But in the meantime remember that acne is a common problem and is never as bad and noticeable as you think it is. Everyone gets spots and blemishes and blackheads it's just unfortunate that some people have it worse than others.

Be careful when buying clothing/lingerie. Don't waste all of your money, but don't buy cheap garments either. Look for value for money: quality that suits the price. Divide how much money you want to spend on each section of your wardrobe - more on lingerie, or clothing, or accessories, depending on your tastes.

Warnings

A lot of people may misunderstand your intentions and label you as "in the adult business" or a "goth". Remember that you know who you are, and that nobody's opinions and bullying should get to you. However, if somebody close to you or someone you respect tells you something, then consider your style choices and whether they may be too revealing. Dita does not go for that style.

This doesn't require a lot of money. There are many charity/thrift stores that have cheap yet beautiful clothes. Also if you want to save up and get something a little more special or vintage/antique there are vintage stores, though these are usually quite hard to find but there is likely to be one next to you so don't give up looking!

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 33,627 times.